Mugs of Love

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  “Parties get out of hand?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Call me if it does.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Call me if it does,” Garrett instructs more forcefully.

  Cody nods.

  “Are there any nice girls going to the party?” I ask, folding my menu.

  “Sugar,” Garrett snorts.

  “What?”

  I look to see Cody turning a little red. I wonder how bright red he turned when he found the package of condoms I left on his bed this week.

  “Isn’t this cute?” Sarah’s snide voice rings out from next to our table.

  “Get gone,” Garrett growls.

  “That’s not very nice,” she pouts.

  “Nice as you’re gonna get. Now walk the fuck away.”

  “Emily holdin’ out on you too?”

  Before Garrett can stand up and make a scene, Cody saves the day.

  “Nope. I had to buy earplugs and even those don’t block out all the sounds.”

  I can’t help the hysterical laughter that breaks from my chest. Cody’s words combined with Sarah’s horrified face…hilarious. She stomps away in a huff and Cody joins my laughing. I know Garrett won’t laugh in public, but his lips are twitching.

  I get calmed down enough to order my dinner and enjoy a meal with two people I love very much, Sarah and her crap forgotten.

  “That’s the last one,” Cody says, handing Garrett the final bag of clothes.

  “If you drink, don’t get in a fuckin’ car. Text me so I know where you end up,” Garrett growls.

  “I’m not gonna drink and I’m crashin’ at the Donovan place. I’ll text you if anything changes though.”

  Garrett studies his little brother for a few seconds and then grabs the back of his head, crushing it into his broad shoulder. Cody doesn’t hug him back, but he leans in a little. I may be a pile of goo for the rest of my life after witnessing this.

  Cody stands up and Garrett gives the side of his neck a little squeeze before he lets him go. I wrap him in a tight hug and whisper, “Have a great time and be safe. I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks for today,” he mumbles into my shoulder.

  I kiss his cheek and then smile broadly at him. He smiles back at me as I rub his buzzed head. Then he climbs in my Mini and takes off to the land of teenage parties.

  “Do you think he hates driving a yellow car as much as he hated those purple jeans?” I ask Garrett.

  “No,” he grunts, pulling my back to his front as we watch Cody until we can’t see him anymore.

  Garrett presses a kiss to my hair before settling me in his car. He’s been more quiet than normal tonight. Which for him means he hasn’t uttered more than a few words. He interlaces our fingers the same way he always does when we’re in the car. The drive home is completely silent. It’s not uncomfortable silence, but it’s not comfortable either.

  I’m tired. I haven’t been going to bed until around nine because I enjoy spending time with Garrett and Cody. It’s taking a toll though. It’s only eight now, but my eyelids feel heavy as we walk in the house.

  “I’m gonna head to bed, Garrett,” I say.

  “I’ll be up in a few,” he responds, kissing my hair and patting my butt.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I’ll be up in a few,” he repeats and hits me with one of those gazes.

  I nod and make my way to his room.

  Nightly routine done quickly, I pull on one of Garrett’s T-shirts and climb into bed. I want to fall asleep so badly, but I can’t without him next to me. One week of sleeping in his arms and I’m addicted.

  My phone chirps with a text and I find my best friend’s usual banter.

  Jordan: Garrett cave in yet?

  Me: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

  Jordan: How about your cranky no sex face this week?

  Me: Whatever.

  Jordan: Clever response. I expect better from you.

  Me: I miss you.

  Jordan: I’m always here. This is good for you.

  Me: I know.

  Jordan: Ride tomorrow?

  Me: Yes!

  Jordan: Love you. See you tomorrow.

  Me: Love you too. Good night.

  The best thing that’s come out of Adam trying to ruin everything is he’s left me alone since the Fall Festival. He hasn’t called once. There have been no notes. And I haven’t seen him. I think he finally realizes I’ve moved on. I hope that’s the case. Garrett won’t be as patient as Jordan was. I don’t think Jordan will be anymore either. It’s best Adam stays away for good now.

  Garrett comes in the room quietly, trying not to disturb me. I wiggle my fingers at him to let him know I’m still awake. I get a chin lift in response. He disappears in the walk-in closet and comes out moments later with his undershirt in his hand only wearing his boxer briefs.

  He tosses me the shirt, even though I’m already in one. Garrett knows I like the shirts he’s worn that day instead of a clean one. His smell still clings to those, but it dominates the shirt he spends the day in. I watch his inked body disappear behind the bathroom door and change shirts.

  I take a deep breath as the soft white cotton passes my nose. Wood, cologne and Garrett’s manly smell combine to make the most intoxicating fragrance known to man. I should figure out a way to bottle this. Women the world over would cover their men in it. A small selfish part of me doesn’t want to share it though. I want this scent all to myself.

  I snuggle into the covers and pull the shirt over my nose, inhaling deeply. When Garrett strolls out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel loosely slung around his narrow hips, I decide it’s time to make my move. I need him.

  “Garrett,” I purr in my most seductive voice.

  His eyes snap to mine and I find sexy swirling kaleidoscopes devouring me.

  Oh my.

  I’ve stayed away from Emily for a week. I’ve held her, kissed her and had her in my arms every night. But I’ve kept my dick away from her. I’m fucking dying. My self-imposed break is killing me.

  I wanted to give Emily the space to assess everything. I wanted to give her the chance to leave me. I wanted her to choose me knowing everything I am. I’m not sure I accomplished my goal. I’ve kept her here with me. I haven’t spent any time away from her other than work where I still watch her constantly. My brother’s been using her car and I haven’t even tried to find him a new one. I have her captive because I’m terrified she’ll run if given the chance I so falsely insisted upon giving her.

  The least I could do was keep my dick in check.

  My dick’s done waiting and apparently so is Emily. Her eyes are pleading with me to take her…to stop holding myself back. She didn’t need the break. There’s been not one moment of hesitation from her since I told her what a piece of shit I am. If anything, she looks at me with more adoration than she used to. It hurts and it feels amazing to have that from her.

  “I told you I’d make it up to you,” I growl, dropping my towel on the floor.

  Her eyes go wide at my hard dick.

  “What are you makin’ up?” she asks in a husky Midwestern drawl that causes my cock to bob and her to gasp at the sight.

  “Last time,” I grunt, climbing on top of her.

  “Huh?” she asks, puzzled and turned on.

  “It was too fast. I’ll go slowly tonight. But not this time. Next time I will or maybe the time after,” I purr into her ear.

  “I’m gonna burn the pumpkin bread,” she moans as I run my rough hands up her ribcage, guiding my shirt off her.

  I take my time to admire her form. This I won’t rush. Her chest is heaving with wanton breaths, decorated in a rosy blush. The rise and fall pushes her plump tits toward me, craving my touch as her nipples stand at stiff, edible peaks. Her soft belly tenses as if she can feel my gaze touching her. When I find her in nothing but a scrap of a black lace thong, I growl with hunger.

&nbs
p; Okay, enough looking, it’s time to touch.

  “Please, Garrett,” she whimpers, snapping my gaze to hers.

  I settle my chest against her tits and cup her soft cheeks, running my thumb across her crease.

  “Tell me what you need, Sugar,” I request as tenderly as my voice will allow.

  “You,” she whispers, running her fingers down my jaw.

  “You’ve got me,” I assure her.

  “Inside me. I just want you inside me,” she says shakily.

  I attack her mouth with passion. Kissing her with all of the emotion she causes in me. I show her how much I need her…how intensely I crave her. As I swirl my tongue with hers and begin to thrust it in and out, I reach down, shredding the lace from her.

  The sound of pleasure I swallow from her lips increases as I surge forward. She’s so wet I slide in easily, but still go slowly. Emily’s so tight I could come right now. I won’t, but I could.

  I stop when she’s completely filled and kiss her softly, gently. She doesn’t encourage me to move so I remain still in her hot pussy as I rest my forehead against hers. Emily releases my shoulders she was clinging to and holds my face with one hand, the other settling on my ink-covered heart.

  There’s that look again. The one that says I’m her world. If she only knew, she’s mine too. My world. My emotion. My peace. Mine.

  “You’ll protect my heart,” she says softly.

  “Yes,” I grunt, sliding in and out of her once.

  “You’ll keep me safe.”

  “Yes.” I thrust again.

  “You won’t hurt me.”

  “Never.” I surge forward with force this time.

  “You’ll take care of me.”

  “Always,” I whisper and begin to make passionate love to a woman for the first time in my life.

  I know I’ll never experience this with another woman. Emily’s it for me, and if I don’t have her, I won’t have anyone else.

  I bury my head in her neck, kissing and licking her soft skin. My strokes are long and slow, but equally powerful and intense. I shove an arm under her shoulders the other beneath the small of her back, holding her against me as closely as I can.

  Emily’s ankles lock around my hips as her arms circle my shoulders. I kiss her lovingly, drinking her in. Pouring everything into her as we begin to glisten with sweat. She kisses me back, showing me she gets me and she wants what I can give…what I’ve promised.

  She clenches around me as an orgasm rips through her body. I don’t stop kissing her or thrusting into her. I keep moving. I drag her from one orgasm to the next, never breaking contact. When she needs a deep breath, I pull back slightly and pepper her face with chaste pecks before returning to her mouth.

  Emily never complains that I’m dominating, stealing every bit of warmth she has. She just gives me more. Offers me everything. My chest hurts from the emotions raging within it. I fell for her from afar and now that she’s here in my arms, I have no question. I’m in love with Emily Garner.

  I want to scream it from the rooftops. I want to tell her, but I know I can’t. She doesn’t know I’ve spent half a year falling for her pure, honest heart. It’s only been two weeks of being together. I know that’s too fast. But I loved her before I heard her voice. I loved her before I felt her skin. I loved her before I knew the color of her eyes. I loved her the first time I saw her with her head tipped back laughing, filling my ugly damaged soul with warmth.

  “How?” she asks against my mouth.

  “How what, Sugar?” I respond, resting my forehead against hers as I slow my thrusting.

  “I feel it, Garrett. I feel love all around me in a way I’ve wished for my entire life. How can you love me like this already?”

  Shit.

  My hips stop, buried balls deep as panic rips through me.

  I stare into her golden green eyes expecting to see concern or disbelief, but I don’t. I see acceptance. I see happiness. I see satisfaction. And fuck me, I see love.

  “I’m a thief, Emily. I’ve been stealing from you since the first moment I saw you in May,” I explain hoarsely.

  Her eyes turn confused, but she doesn’t say anything or push me away. I grab one of her hands that’s still latched onto my shoulders and place it over my heart.

  “I don’t feel anything. I’m angry all the time. Some version of pissed off at every moment. The first time I saw you, you were in your shop with your head tipped back laughing at Jordan. My chest warmed at the sight. I felt something good for the first time that I can remember. Every day since then, I watch you from my shop. I steal that warmth from you, Emily.

  “The way you light up when you watch all the first dates in your place as though you feel that tingle too, it burns my soul. The look of pure bliss when you sit at the date table and watch the river valley every morning causes warmth here.” I pat my chest where her hand is. “You brought me back to life when I wasn’t sure I wanted to live. You’re love personified and I stole that from you.”

  She takes a shuddered breath and bursts into gut-wrenching sobs.

  Shit.

  I kiss away her tears as quickly as I can as she shakes with emotion. Emily threads her fingers through my hair and pulls my mouth to hers whispering, “I love you too,” before crushing our mouths together.

  I move my dick in and out of her with a tortured slow pace as I taste her salty tears mixed with love. She keeps one hand on my heart as the other cups my cheek. I dance with her tongue in a sensual tango of emotion.

  As her pussy clamps down around me, I lose the will to hold back and fill her to the brim. I keep stroking in and out after the longest orgasm I’ve ever had ends, my dick still completely hard.

  I take her again, slow and soft. I worship her and whisper words of love and devotion as I do. She whispers right back.

  I feel warm from head to toe when we finally collapse, my dick still inside her and my heart pounding with emotion I’ve never known.

  Love.

  I reach over and silence my alarm, groaning at the minimal amount of sleep we’ve gotten. Emily’s tiny warm body is sleeping peacefully on top of me, my dick still inside her.

  I’m hard as soon as I feel her around me. Nine years without sex has made me insatiable. That’s bullshit. It’s not the time. It’s Emily. I can’t get enough. Probably never will.

  “Gotta wake up, Sugar,” I murmur into her sandy hair.

  “Mmmm,” she moans, wiggling her hips against me.

  “You want it again?” I purr, my hands grabbing her soft, round hips as I thrust into her.

  “Yes,” she says quietly, kissing my inked skin.

  Then she sits up, places her hands on my chest and starts riding my cock.

  “Fuck yes,” I moan.

  Her tits bounce as she works herself against me. I release her hips to palm her, flicking her nipples. Emily hisses at the contact, her head flying back in ecstasy. This is hot as hell, but I need more. I need to feel her, hold her.

  I grasp her shoulders and guide her down to my chest, taking over the thrusting. I devour her mouth, holding her in place with an arm across her back, gripping her ass. My other hand fists her hair so I can keep her head where I need it.

  Emily comes with a squeal that I swallow before filling her again. She drops her head to my neck, running a hand over my grandfather clock as I stroke her ass.

  “This is real, right?” she asks softly. “I’m not dreaming?”

  “It’s real,” I grunt.

  “You’re grunting so it must be,” she retorts through a chuckle.

  “Tired?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Shower?”

  “Yeah.”

  I slide out of the bed with her still wrapped around me and stalk into the bathroom. I turn on all the nozzles and wait for the water to warm up before I walk us into the stream.

  Then I take her against the glass tile before I finally release her and help her clean up. I feel an irrational irritation t
hat she’s cleaning my come off her body. I tamp it down as best I can.

  “You’re here,” Emily says, placing my hand over her heart.

  She’s reassuring my crazy ass.

  “Good,” I growl.

  “I watched you too,” she whispers, caressing my cheek.

  She’s soft and sudsy with rivulets of water running down her perfect body. It’s her eyes that have me captivated though. There’s nothing but warmth and honesty beaming from them.

  “I didn’t watch you every day because I can’t see you unless you’re in the store or on the street. But each time I saw you, I felt a pull toward you. Clyde and Arlene said you liked to keep to yourself so I stayed away. There were days though…moments where I wanted to walk up to you and wrap my arms around your neck. I was still with Adam the first time that happened, Garrett. I found him with that girl three days later. I should’ve come to you then. The instant I cut him loose, I should have run to your arms.”

  I feel like I’m about to burst open at the seams. How can someone this good want me? I keep asking myself that question. I know what I deserve in life and it’s not Emily. But if the fates have fucked up and given her to me, I’m not stupid enough to squander the opportunity.

  “Mouth,” I grunt and don’t give her the chance to obey.

  I suck at her lips before nipping them sharply. Then I lick away the sting before driving her into the tile again. As my tongue plunders her mouth, Emily wraps a hand around my dick, pumping and stroking as she moans. Then she’s gone.

  My eyes fly open to find her on her knees in front of me with my head passing between her succulent lips. I brace my hands on the wall and watch her work me to the back of her throat. I don’t care how many times I’ve come in the last twenty-four hours. I’m not going to last more than a few seconds.

  Emily bobs and sucks, cupping my balls. I start to tremble with the overwhelming desire to fuck her mouth. She hollows her cheeks and pulls me deep again. I can’t help rocking into her throat. She moans around my cock at the action and I take it as my cue. I push into her as both her hands work my balls. I’m careful not to be forceful or rough as my dick slips and slides in her mouth.

  When the tingle starts at my spine, I warn her with a grunt that I’m about to lose it. She turns her golden green eyes up at me and smiles around my cock before grabbing my hips, seating the entirety of me down her throat. I roar with my climax, her name rattling from deep within my chest.